Check back here starting at 8pm tonight and all throughout the ceremony for commentary, news from the press room, and all the oh-my-god-it's-really-happening excitement that only the Tony Awards can provide.

8:15Here we are in the Tonys Press Room!

8:16The first three awards were announced pre-telecast. They were: costume designer Ann Roth for The Nance, William Ivey Long for Cinderella 's costume design, and Kinky Boots orchestrator Stephen Oremus.

8:23We've also had The Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role go to Courtney B. Vance for Lucky Guy.

8:25We got Judith Light for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play!

8:32Sound design for a play goes to Leon Rothenberg for The Nance.

8:36Courtney B. Vance is coming to visit us in the press room!

8:38Featured Actor in a Musical goes to Gabriel Ebert!

8:41VANCE: "My wife, she's the queen." Awwwh!

8:47Dennis Kelly wins for book of Matilda. Cheers!

8:52Leon Rothenberg is in the press room! He's chatting about not using mics for The Nance ‘s burlesque scenes. Pretty crazy.

8:55To the surprise of no one but the delight of everyone Diane Paulus wins for Director of a Musical!

8:57Gabriel Ebert is here and he says to the kids at home, "Avoid trying to be poignant." Also, "Do several plays before you decide to give up."

9:02While Ebert was here Pam MacKinnon won Best Director for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Two female directors in a row!

9:04DENNIS KELLY: "I couldn't really make [Matilda] about a girl who loves musicals, so I made it about a girl who loves books."

9:11Cyndi Lauper wins for Kinky Boots! I hope we get to see her in the press room soon!

9:14Pam MacKinnon is here now. She says of women directors on Broadway, "We're out there and we're coming up."

9:17Judith Light is in the press room, with that stunning white dress! with a train!

9:18Someone just commented that she looks like she's getting married to the Tony. "Well, maybe I am," she responds.

9:20Scenic Design of a play goes to John Lee Beatty, The Nance.

9:22Side note, the best thing about the press room is not having to watch the commercials.

9:26This "you gotta have a tv show" song is kind of great. Also, today I learned that Laura Benanti is actually that funny.

9:31Featured Actress in a Musical goes to Andrea Martin!

9:32Jerry Mitchell, who recently won Best Choreography for Kinky Boots, is in the press room now.

9:43Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike wins best play!

9:45JOHN LEE BEATTY: "[The Nance Director] Jack O'Brien is a very family oriented director, in terms of theater family"

9:54Hugh Vanstone wins Best Lighting Design for Matilda, beating out Kenneth Posner, who was nominated three times over.

9:57Simba presents Pippin, one prince to another. I mean, cute.

10:02Aaand Sigourney Weaver is a full head taller than Mayor Bloomberg. (They're presenting Best Revival.)

10:04It's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? !

10:07Best Lighting Design of a Play just went to Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer for Lucky Guy.

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